UNITED STATES FLEET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 261, 28 July 1908, Page 5

UNITED STATES FLEET.

THE AUSTRALIAN CELEBRATIONS. (BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL COKHESPONDENT). Auckland, July 27. Ariioug tho. passengers to Auckland, yesterday by the s.s. Wimmera was Mr. Donald Mac Donald, tho well-known war correspondent, who lias como to Non' Zealand as special fleet representative of tho Melbourne ."Argus." Mr. Mac Donald.stated to a reporter that :the Commonwealth had "laid itself out to do .tho . fleet vigifc well," and that Australians wero practically unanimous in approval of the action of the Federal and State Governments.

"Australians," said' Mr. Mac Donald, "all have' the samo feeling that in view of what may happen in the future there, cannot bo too good an understanding l:ctwcen Great Britain and America, and.thcy want to do their share to express their hope and belief that in the event of any -. serious Eastern complications U.S. will spoil 'Us.' Thefeol,ing amongst many thinking people in Australia is that /if the visit of tho American fleet to Zealand and- Australia helps to create a real interest in the naval affairs of our own -Empire it, will be worth all the trouble on both sides. Tho people are greatly, impressed by what they actually see, and in not seeing tile British Navy, except through cruisers, like tho 'Powerful, they hardly realise either its strength or its Imperial significance. Wq read a good deal about disasters in the British .Navy, and perhaps fall into tho error of thinking that somo of tho blunders of'the South African War aro being repeated oil* the sea. These disasters have arisen wholly through the fact that British ships are boing constantly exercised in all weathers in complicated, and more or less perilous manoeuvres under scrvico conditions. The leading naval authority in Australia recently visited England, and was in closo touch with the.Navy. -.He told mo that the British Navy is .at present being trained up to the motto of 'War to-night.' "As to" the demonstration of welcome," ho went on, "if it'fails in anything on our sido it will bo in excess. We aro trying to do a little too much, and may make our hospitality, rather a burden upon our guests. Thero'is nothing peculiarly Australian in our welcome -to tho Americans, except, may I hope, its heartiness. The demonstration is made up of tho usual round of reviews, dinners, balls, race meetings, and tho only local touch comes from a littlo' Gippsland town, Mirboo, which was laughed at when it proposed to take a share in tlie demonstration, but when they heard that Mirboo had arranged to meet the Americans at tho'railway with bush bullock teams it was realised that after all Mirboo was giving them a taste of tho real Australia"Commander Potherbridgo has come oyer ,on behalf of the Commonwealth to interview Admiral Sporry in Auckland and submit the Sydney and Mclbourno proposals to him. I should not be surprised if tho American commander, realising that pcaco hath its terrors as well as war, should exercise his privilege of striking something out. Should ho not do so, tho endurance as well as the digestion of the American Navy'will be very severely tested."